How's this for an interpretation? (not 100% relevant to the original question but loosely related depending on the interpretation). If you had previously contacted the short edge first, that becomes the "front" of the WWG - and you then cannot be overlapped (by the long edge itself) when contacting the long edge of the WWG in future combats, assuming you aren't on contact with the "front" of the WWG. Furthermore, any flank contacts (on any edges other than the "front") will not recoil if other flank attackers lose, e.g.:
WWG faces east per example above
first combat is on western side, and attacker loses ("front" of the WWG is now set to be the western side - see 1 below)
next combat in the next bound by attacker is on the northern side, attacker cannot be overlapped by the long edge (see 2 below) - is that correct?
next combat in another bound by attacker is on the southern side, with overlap support on eastern side - attacker cannot be overlapped, and if loses, the eastern contact does not recoil (see 3 below) - is that correct?
1) per page 35 : "Train and Boats do not turn to face enemy, but count the edge first contacted by an enemy front edge as their front edge, and, if train, any other edge in contact with an enemy front or side edge as a side edge." So is this set for the game or the bound? If it is the game there are some potential ramifications. If it is the bound, then can someone point me to where it says there is no "memory"?
2) per page 35 : "lf a War Wagons, Artillery, Baggage (S) or Boats element with a longer base edge currently acting as its front edge is contacted on that edge by 2 enemy elements, it fights each in turn that bound. lf only half the edge is currently in contact, the attacker is overlapped"
3) per page 38 : "However, if the element fighting an enemy element's front is required to recoil or flee, or is repulsed, spent or destroyed, a friendly element in front edge contact with that enemy element's flank or rear recoils."
